Contact: Helen Wheeler, Policy Manager, ext 5444

1. Summary

1.1 The Recreation and Heritage department has been awarded Cultural Pathfinder status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Local Government Association (LGA) and IdeA (Improvement and Development Agency) for a two year period starting in April 2005. This report explains the aims of the Cultural Pathfinder programme and the implications of this award for Hampshire County Council and the Recreation and Heritage department.

1.2 Cultural Pathfinder status will complement, support and enhance the role of the Recreation and Heritage department in the improving delivery of cultural services and will therefore contribute directly to Aim 1 (Maximising life opportunities) and Aim 5 (Improving services) of the Corporate Strategy and will also support the aims of the Cultural Strategy.

2 Cultural Pathfinder programme

2.1 The Cultural Pathfinder programme is aimed at demonstrating the value and significance of cultural activity in securing positive outcomes on the seven Shared Priorities agreed between central and local government. Hampshire is one of only thirteen authorities in England that have been selected as examples of excellent practice in making full use of cultural activities in delivering one or more of the Shared Priorities.

2.2 The successful Hampshire bid is based around the Discovery Centre programme focussing on the Gosport Discovery Centre. The award is testimony to the vision the County Council has shown in using cultural activities to achieve wider social policy aims and its commitment to investing in the transformation of cultural services, particularly the Discovery Centre developments, library refurbishments and the extension of library opening hours.

2.3 The award of Cultural Pathfinder status will provide an opportunity to showcase at a national level the work that the County is engaged in to develop the role of culture in contributing to other thematic agenda; improving health, well-being and the quality of life for children, young people, families at risk and older people; developing community cohesion, community life and a sense of place; and promoting the economic vitality of localities - all key objectives of the Discovery Centre programme.

2.4 The County's participation in the Cultural Pathfinder programme provides a focus for innovation and experimentation through the Discovery Centre regeneration programme, and a focus for the freedoms and flexibilities of being an excellent authority. It is an opportunity to test ideas at a local level with a view to understanding their potential for transferability and inspiring good practice elsewhere in Hampshire and in other authorities. It will aim to demonstrate the benefits and the need for increased joined-up delivery of local government services with partners, especially the Voluntary and Community sector.

2.5 For Hampshire, Cultural Pathfinder status will enable us to build upon an existing base of high quality activity in the cultural sector and will provide;

· wider recognition of Hampshire's commitment to using culture to deliver and in supporting others to deliver a range of outcomes for the local community

· the opportunity to promote Hampshire's work on a national front, through dissemination by the DCMS, IDeA and LGA. The Discovery Centre Programme Manager will participate in seminars and workshop presentations and the Pathfinder will feature in publications, website and other events

· the benefits of networking and sharing information and ideas with other Pathfinder local authorities across the country

· the opportunity to underpin and link-up with Hampshire's targets for CPA 2006 and LPSA Second Generation

· the opportunity to work with other Pathfinder areas (e.g. Rural Pathfinder), central government and partners to tackle some of the most pressing public policy issues

· the opportunity to develop Hampshire's innovative service delivery concept, Discovery Centres, which can be applied from one area to another and a project that has measurable impacts within a community

· opportunities for linking other funding programmes and funding bids to support the Cultural Pathfinder and Discovery Centre programme

2.6 Unlike other Pathfinder Programmes the Cultural Pathfinder status is not supported by any supporting government funding. It will be managed and supported by an LGA/DCMS advisory Steering Group who will work closely with the participating Pathfinders to ensure the effective dissemination and communication of the key learning points and achievements of the programme, in particular the effective evaluation of outcomes of the specific projects.

2.7 The Discovery Centre Programme Manager and Policy Manager will attend the initial workshop on 4 March which will focus on the evaluation framework for the programme and include presentations on the other twelve Cultural Pathfinder programmes.

Recommendation

That Members support Hampshire's participation in the Cultural Pathfinder programme and submit the report to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for his consideration.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

Published works.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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